Bridges
by AveryLizard
Summary: What happened after Loki fell from the Bifrost? How did he end up back on Midgard and causing trouble? Here is his story.
1. Chapter 1

Jane Foster is a renowned astrophysicist and creator of Foster's Theory of Inter-dimensional Travel. Her work has proven to be some of the most influential and insightful of the past hundred years. Jane Foster is one of the brightest minds roaming earth today, and she can't even pour a cup of coffee.

Jane jumped back as the hot coffee fell on her bare feet. After throwing the cup and pot onto the counter, Jane hopped to the sink. In a rush, she attempted to wipe the molten liquid off with a towel. This was somewhat successful but left the young scientist's skin pulsing in pain. These events are what lead to Erik Selvig, finding Jane sitting on the counter with her feet in the sink. Erik said nothing as he set down his briefcase by the couch. Jane hopped down and dried her feet. Neither Jane nor Erik spoke. Finally, after Jane mistook salt for sugar and attempted to put a large spoonful of it into her cereal, Erik spoke up.

"Jane!"

She jumped out of her trance in time to catch her mistake. She put down the cereal and salt, leaned against the counter, and rubbed her eyes.

"Jane," Erik started again "you need to get more sleep! I'm worried about you!"

Jane looked up, then turned to finish preparing her breakfast. "I can't" she replied.

She sighed and, once again abandoned her meal. "Erik, I can't do this!"

Erik raised his eyebrows in surprise and waited for her to continue.

"I can't do this" Jane said, a little calmer "A month ago I learned that other worlds exist! Other WORLDS!" she began to pace "I met a Norse god! And now, NOW, everyone just expects me to go back to the life I had before all this! I can't do it!" with this final statement she threw herself onto the couch and buried her face in her hands. Erik sat down beside her and stared down at his clasped hands. "So don't" Erik replied after a long pause. Jane looked up at this.

"Look" Erik began, turning towards her "like you said, these events change everything. They hold new scientific evidence, and, as with any new developments in science, we have to change our way of thinking. It would be impossible for anyone to forget recent events, let alone a hyperactive mind like your own." As Jane digested this new line of thinking, Erik stood up and prepared to leave.

"Where are you going?" Jane asked as he picked up his briefcase.

"Home" he replied. "You need to get some sleep and I can't do any work without you. And besides that, I have some work to do for the university."

…...

Because S.H.I.E.L.D had taken all of Jane's equipment she had to walk Erik and Darcy through the manual processes to gather the data she needed. Because this was so slow going, Jane was spending more time at her formal job, assisting Erik in his teaching duties at the university. Besides that, after the appearance of Thor, not much seemed important enough to study in depth.

With less research, Darcy was spending more time at school. The little time she did spend "working" with Jane she spent talking while Jane worked. Jane didn't mind. She preferred company, particularly when performing the tedious manual calculations.

The more time-consuming work, paired with insomnia, left Jane in a constant state of fatigue. Most nights, unable to sleep, Jane would venture up to the roof of the old dinner that was now used as a lab. After lighting a fire in the pit, she would curl up in a blanket and stare at the stars wondering how many billions of worlds there were for her to study. These thoughts usually drifted to Asgard and subsequently to Thor. Jane fell asleep to the memory of Thor explaining the nine realms. "There is Midgard, which is earth, Valleheim, Jotinheim, and Asgard. That's where I come from. When the sun is low in the sky the city seems to be a mass of pure gold. The golden flutes of the palace reach high into the near darkness."

Jane was disoriented. Screaming surrounded her. Whips cracked and chains slithered across cold floors. Jane was unable to focus, her entire world was spinning. The sounds of suffering and captivity filled her head. Then suddenly the sounds of prison ceased and a small broken whisper took their place "No, please. Help me. Help me please.". As the plea continued Jane's vision sharpened and she seemed to zoom down the hall to a locked prison door. Then, as quickly as they had ceased, the sounds of torture came back full force. Jane woke, covered in cold sweat. The sun was not up yet but the grayish light announced it's impending arrival.

Wanting a distraction, Jane had offered to grade Erik's papers for the next day. This was how she spent most of the day. Around three-thirty Darcy knocked on Erik's office door. Jane, who was sitting at her small desk in the corner, turned around too fast and almost fell out of her chair. After regaining her balance, Jane greeted Darcy who invited her to get an early dinner. As they walked, Jane's mind drifted to the strange dream that had woken her so early in the morning. Even stranger, she thought, was that she remembered the dream at all. Jane almost never remembered her dreams. Darcy said it was because her head was already too full of "numbers and sciency stuff". For the most part, this was true, Jane's mind was usually wide awake well before the rest of her. But something about this dream had stuck. Maybe it was that it was so out of place. Jane had always understood that dreams came from experiences or from memories. But this dream made no sense. Why was it even in her head? Jane had never been to a prison, nor experienced any similar situation.

Near the end of this train of thought, Jane realized that Darcy had been speaking and she hadn't heard any of it.

"...and then I realized that I hadn't screwed up the calculations and this would totally work!" Darcy, slightly out of breath from talking so fast, smiled at Jane expectantly.

"What?" Jane looked at Darcy for a few minutes before rubbing her eyes. "Sorry I haven't been sleeping very well lately." Darcy blinked a few times before picking up her coffee.

"Wow, you are so whipped. Tall, blond, and muscley really got under your skin." She took a sip of coffee. "I still can't decide if you actually like him or the science behind him more..."

"I...What? I...He...I think..." Jane stuttered for a few minutes. Darcy smiled and looked at her phone.

"Oh shoot I gotta go! See you tomorrow Jane!"

…..

Over the next few days, Jane spent every night working hard on replacing her equipment. On one such evening, she was dozing in her chair. Thor's voice echoed in Jane's head again as she faded between consciousness and sleep.

Jane was walking down a long hallway. When she reached the end she saw the same locked prison door as before.

"Hello?" She asked, inching closer.

"Jane Foster," a calm, warm voice came from the darkness of the cell. "glad you could make it."

A sudden rush of wind threw Jane to the floor as thousands of images surged through her mind.

Jane woke on the floor of her lab with her desk chair lying about three feet away. Overwhelming pain shot through Jane's head as she sat up. The pain subsided as she made her way to her feet. Exhausted, Jane resolved to turn in for the night. As she began to put away some of her papers, one chart caught her eye. She had looked at that chart a thousand times just in the last few hours, but as she looked at it now, she saw something new. She jumped to work in a hope that this fresh revelation wouldn't dissipate too quickly.

…...

Darcy walked into the lab at 8:15. Papers were everywhere. Half finished cups of coffee and devices balanced precariously on mounds of papers.

"Jane?" Darcy picked her way through the mess. It took her half an hour to look through all the crowded rooms before determining that Jane must be on the roof. The door opened to reveal an enormous telescope with the large end facing the viewer. Jane walked around from the side fiddling with knobs and fishing out wires to fuse together.

"Jane! What on earth are you doing?" Jane didn't turn around.

"Hi Darcy." She continued to mess with the machine.

"What is this thing?" Darcy crept around the side to stand next to Jane. "And what is that smell?" She looked over at Jane who had her hair in a bun and looked like she hadn't done anything but work for days.

"Darcy, I've figured it out! I know how to travel between the realms! I know how to get him back!" An overpowering smell wafted toward Darcy as Jane grabbed her shoulders.

"When was the last time you took a shower? Or brushed your teeth for that matter?" She took a few steps away from Jane.

"Come on I'll show you what I've found!" Jane grabbed Darcy by the wrist and dragged her toward the door.

"Whoa, I'm not going anywhere with you until you take a shower Princess of the muck." Darcy pulled her hand away and fell back a bit as the pair descended the stairs.

…...

Darcy sat in a lawn chair as Jane continued to fiddle with the backward telescope.

"...So you see, this will open an Einstein-Rosen Bridge, then we will just have to lock on to him and voilà, Inter-dimensional travel!"

"Okay, but how will we KNOW it's him and not some, what did he call the things with the horns?" She flailed her fingers around her head like Thor had done.

Jane stood silent for the first time since Darcy arrived. "Uh, I haven't exactly gotten that far yet." Jane didn't know how annoyed Darcy could look until this stare down.

"Well, I have a theory..." Jane turned back to the machine and pulled a panel away. "Okay so right here is where the whole thing is controlled. My theory is that if we can pinpoint what realm he is on with this," She pointed to a screen with nine large blobs circling each other. "Then all we would have to do is look for a massive power output and that...must...be...him?" She looked down at her blobs. "I mean he is the god of Thunder right? He has to have a lot of power around him at all times." Darcy nodded slowly. Encouraged, Jane began to push buttons around the screen. "I think I have already found him actually, right," She slammed a button and one blob took over the screen and a large purple dot in the center pulsed. "here." Jane smiled at the screen.


	2. Chapter 2

Thor woke slowly. Everything in his body hurt. His head pounded with the beat of his heart. He raised his hands to his head and slowly began to run his fingers through his long hair. His fingers caught on the braids twisted into his mane. He began to unravel the pieces when a knock reached his ears. It took only a few strides for Thor to cross the room and wrench open his chamber door. Fandral stood before him in his casual wear. "Good lord man you look awful. And not 'awe-full' as in full of awe...I mean terrible." The pair stared at each other for a few moments before Fandral pushed past Thor into the chamber. Without saying a word Fandral crossed to the wardrobe and began rummaging through it. Thor, still regaining his mental capacities, turned and received a face full of fabric. "Put those on. Shave. Do...something with your hair. Meet me in the hall in twenty minutes."

Exactly twenty-three minutes later Thor found himself being lead into his father's council chamber. "My son," Oden spread his arms wide in welcome and his good eye shone, " We have much to discuss." Around the table sat Sif, Volstagg, Hogun, and Frigga. As Thor and Fandral took their seats, the large golden doors swung open bringing with them a cool breeze and Heimdall.

"My King." Heimdall bowed low with his fist over his heart.

"Heimdall, please sit and explain our current situation." Heimdall sat placing his helmet on the table before him. He glanced around the table with his head still lowered so that his golden eyes shone from beneath his dark brow.

"I have kept an eye on Doctor Foster," Thor met his eyes and Heimdall gave him the slightest nod. "She is dangerous." Thor opened his mouth to argue but was stopped by Frigga's gentle hand on his shoulder. "My apologies my prince," He grasped either edge of his helmet. "She is smart. Too smart. My King, I fear she has created a Bifrost of her own. It is crude and primitive, but it is a bridge between realms." A gasp went up around the table. Only Odin and Frigga seamed unfazed.

"How?" Volstagg leaned forward, fallowing his question into the air.

"That does not matter, what matters is what she intends to do with it." Fandral crossed his arms over his chest, "Or am I wrong golden god?"

"She thinks she has located Thor. She intends to use her invention to bring herself to him. To bring herself here." Sif shifted uncomfortably as Heimdall relayed his findings. "Unfortunately, she has not located Thor, but something much more dangerous."

"What? What has she found?" Thor's voice rose in panic.

"I'm sorry my prince, it was unclear what she had found. But it was big, and powerful," He looked around, meeting everyone's eyes. "And not in any of the nine realms."

...


	3. Chapter 3

Thor paced through his rounds, distracted. The barracks, the armory, the throne room, the dungeons. All his guards were in line. Or at least he was distracted enough to not notice anything off. This was infuriating. Heimdal and Frigga had been slaving away for days attempting to determine where Jane planned to send herself. Thor's job was to wait. Wait until there was something that could be done.

The training arena was quiet when Thor arrived. This, like everything else, was frustrating. He needed a distraction. Something to DO while he waited for orders from Odin.

He picked up a longsword. He tensed his muscles against the weight of the heavy blade. Suddenly he began viciously attacking the beam of a weapons rack. As he brought the sword down for a second attack there was a loud clang that reverberated around the arena. Sif stepped into her assault with a swift blow to Thor's heavily armored left shoulder. The two began to spar furiously. Thor swung his sword towards Sif who blocked him then he twisted quickly to disarm her. Both took a step back. Thor had her. Then he was on the ground.

Thor lay panting as he stared into the gray sky. Sif appeared above him and offered her hand. Thor sat up and at a lightning pace took her hand and threw her over his shoulder to the ground.

If looks could kill Thor would have been a smoldering pile of ash. The pair looked at each other for a tense moment then both burst into laughter.

"You should have seen your face!" Sif bounced to her feet as chainmail jingled around her.

"You are a terror!"

"A holy terror." Sif corrected as she returned her sword.

"Thank you," The adrenaline faded quickly and Thor's mind raced back to Frigga and Heimdal.

"You looked like you could use a distraction," the two fell into step as they journeyed into the palace heading nowhere in particular. "We are fighters. We don't wait well," Thor nodded slowly. "Have you heard anything?"

"No. This...place...whatever it is, appears to be very well hidden."

"if that's the case how did Jane find it?"

"We don't know yet. She is too determined for her own good." Sif watched as Thor's eyes slid out of focus, undoubtedly remembering her. As he did this Sif tried to recall herself what the scientist looked like. Indistinct would be the way Sif described her, but there was something. Something not visible. Something that radiated out of her. Yes, Sif decided, she certainly is beautiful.

"Can't Heimdal just look to see what she is planning?" Sif asked bringing both of them from their momentary distractions.

"There is some kind of powerful magic surrounding her. It's fogging Heimdal's vision." Thor turned to face Sif and began jogging backwards. "Hey, wanna race to the dining hall? I could use another adrenaline boost."

…

The room pulsed with static as Frigga and Heimdal worked furious magic. Neither talked but each knew their business. It was a delicate dance that each knew well.

Maps lay across several tables. Golden strands of light flew across the room pinpointing anything that could emit the amount of power Jane had detected. Each of the nine realms was mapped out and monitored. There was nothing that either of the two could find.

Heimdal's vision shifted to earth and the subject of all this mess. Jane lay on her roof looking at the stars. It appeared as if Hemdal was watching her through a large amount of water. Her features and surroundings kept stretching and pulling. As he watched, Jane fell fast asleep. The vision became more distorted and a dark figure suddenly encased Jane. Suddenly Heimdal found himself spiraling into Jane's dreams.

What he saw in Jane's head scared him. It was a dark damp place. Indiscernible noises echoed and scratched at Heimdal's skull.

Heimdal fell to the floor shaking. Every muscle in his body felt as if it had been struck by lighting from Mjolnir. He opened his eyes to see...nothing. Disoriented, Heimdal tried again to open his eyes. When he did he realized that his eyes were open but he could not see.

"Frigga?" Heimdal kept his voice as steady as he could.

"I'm here," her voice came from right beside his head.

"Frigga I can't see."

...

I hadn't realized how long it had been since I posted a chapter! I hope everyone who has read this is enjoying it! I love getting feedback from you guys! If you enjoy it let me know! I'm hoping to post stuff more regularly so stay tuned!


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